Bottle carrier



Aug. 7, 1951 c. s. PRICE 2,563,065

BOTTLE CARRIER Filed June 22, 1946 2 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR. 55 31 an /e455 .5. 2 /1 /05 jam $1,

C- 5. PRICE BOTTLE CARRIER Aug. 7, 1951 C 2 R t 0 e T P e N h E S V 5 .v m t s e E m 4 S 2 M c f V. B J x p w m 4 Ii a flwnflnnwnnnw i 4 WIIIIIIIIIIIWM N 5 8 a J 7 w p J m m w. 6 4 i 9 1 0 2 9 l 2 2 m e b 0 n 4 h u v IIIlllltl: villi, J 5 rllllrlIl/lllz willful b l b 1 "J 1 F 3 5 Patented Aug. 7, 1951 BOTTLE CARRIER Charles S. Price, Hollis, N. Y., assignor to Reynolds Metals Company, Richmond, Va., a corporation of Delaware Application June 22, 1946, Serial No. 678,585

1 Claim.

This invention relates to bottle carriers or cartons of the type adapted for the packaging and carrying of a plurality of bottles or similar articles.

The principal object of my invention, generally considered, is to provide a bottle carrier which may be easily shipped, set up, and manufactured very economically, desirably from resilient sheet material, such as foil-covered board.

An object of the invention is to produce a bottle carrier which is of such a nature that it may be packed and shipped to a user fiat or partially knocked down and may be assembled by such a user quickly and easily, without the necessity for any machinery for the purpose or involving the use of complicated fasteners, and which, when in set-up condition, may be loaded with bottles 'or the like very rapidly and easily, will resiliently retain them against falling out during the use of the carrier, and yet allow for application and removal thereof without damage to said carrier.

Another object of my invention is to provide a cheap yet substantial bottle carrier, in which sloping sides are provided having access openings through which bottles may be inserted or withdrawn, each access opening being desirably defined by bottle-gripping means, including flaps on stiffening struts between said opening, the outer surfaces of said bottles being gripped by the lower edges defining said access openings, and the inside surfaces by side wall tongues at the neck portions.

A further object of my invention is to provide a bottle carrier having means, cut from a single blank of resilient sheet material, for supporting said bottles, including top-hung partition tabs engaging the inner surfaces of the bottles and partition stiffening flaps engaging the sides of the bottles.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a bottle carrier having bottom, side and end panels, the first having bottom tabs which upwardly swing therefrom and carry studs or other fasteners received in holes or keepers on at least one of the end panels at each end of the carrier, to support the bottom panel and hold the carrier in set-up condition.

An additional object of my invention is to provide a bottle carrier of the type above described, in which the outer or upper edge portions of the side panels may be fastened together to form a handle portion, or stiff flange to which a handle may be secured.

Other objects and advantages of the invention,

relating to the particular arrangement and construction of the various parts, will become apparent as the description proceeds.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of my carrier with the bottles removed.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of an alternative form of handle which may be used I with said carrier.

Fig. 3 is a plan of a blank from which one form of my carrier may be made.

Fig. 4 is an end elevational view of the carrier shown in Fig. i, but showing bottles in place.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of the carrier of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the carrier, on the line VI--VI of Fig. 5, in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of a carrier showing the flaps at one end open and the adjacent tab of the bottom panel down.

Fig. 8 is a view corresponding to Fig. 4, but with the bottles removed. one of the end flaps open, and showing a slight-modification.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line IX-JX of Fig. 4, in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 10 is a view correspondin to Fig. 9, but showing another modification.

Fig. 1'1 is a view corresponding to Fig. 9, but showing still another modification of the invention.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the form of fastening device, or metal staple, as used in the embodiment of Fig. 11, separated from the carrier.

The blank 2| illustrated in Fig. 3, from which the carrier 22, representing only one embodiment of my invention and shown in Figs. 1, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9, is made, is desirably die-cut from suitable resilient sheet material, such as paper board, preferably foil-covered and having the required strength and stiffness. At the same time, it is creased for folding into its set-up condition, so as to define apertured side panels 23 and a bottom panel 24 intermediate the same, separated therefrom by creases Z5 and 26. The ends of the bottom panel 24 are formed as illustrated. and creased as indicated at 21 and 28, to form end tabs 29 and 3|, each provided with a locking or buttoning element, such as a stud, button or snap fastener device 32, preferably fixedly carried as one element of a locking device for the purpose of holding the carrier assembled in a manner which will be explained.

One side panel 23 carries a pair of end panels 33 and the other side panel 23 carries a pair of end panels 3d, larger nd of different shape than the end panels 33, for the purpose of being overlapped by the latter at assembly. All of the end panels 33 and 33 are shown provided with apertures 35 for receiving the button or looking member 32 when set up, and thereby providing completing locking elements which cooperatingly look over the first-mentioned element of said locking device at each end of the carrier.

The end panels 33 and 36 are separated from the side panels by creases 36 and 37, respectively. The side panels 23 are desirably extended and creased. as indicated at 38, to form terminal tabs 39 for connection with a. handle ll, as in the embodiment of Fig. 2, or tabs 39 apertured as indicated at 32 to form handle sections, the faces of which tabs may be coated with adhesive 63 or otherwise adapted to be suitably connected when setting up the carrier.

A preferred material for the blank may comprise a. paper-board center or inner sheet, and outer metal foil coating, or outer metal foil coatings secured to the paper board by suitable adhesive. There is thereby provided a material which is durable and resilient. as well as attractive in appearance. However, I do not wish to be limited to such material. The foil may be of aluminum or other desired metal, and the gauge such that the carrier manufactured therefrom may be used a number of times before the foil wears through. The bottom panel may, if desired, be creased, as indicated at 30, so that the blank may be folded upon itself for shipment.

The side panels 23 are, in the embodiment illustrated, provided with three bottle-receiving apertures or access openings M. In cutting the material to form such openings, flaps 45 are desirably left on the edges to provide partitions between the bottles, as well as for gripping them in place, preventing undesired loss.

In the specific embodiment illustrated, struts at between the access openings 39 are each provided with such stiffening flaps :35, thereby making them not only of increased strength, but forming means which grip the sides of the bottles after insertion. In a similar Way, flaps ll, formed at the extreme edges of the side panels or bent from the outer edges of the end panels, grip the outer surfaces of the end bottles, such bottles designated 50 being represented in Figs. 5 and 6.

The outer, or when set up, the upper edges of the openings 34 have depending therefrom flaps or tabs 48, which, when in use, lie between the bottles being carried as partition members thereof, tending to prevent adjacent bottles from sharply engaging one another. For appearance, the flaps 48 and the adjacent portions of the side panels may be out out, as indicated at 59.

To set up the receptacle from the collapsed or flat condition illustrated in Fig. 3, or that in which the blank may be bent about the median crease G0, from which the fastener device 32 is offset, the procedure may be as follows:

The bottom panel 241 is flattened out, if necessary, and desirably placed in a horizontal position; the side panels 23 are bent up from said bottom panel 24 about the creases 25 and 26 so that they extend diagonally upward and inward to the medial longitudinal plane; the bottom tabs 29 and 3! are bent up about the creases Zl and 28; the larger end panels 3 3 are then bent over their respective bottom tabs, with the buttons 32 received in the locking apertures 35 in the portions extending beyond the medial longitudinal plane of the carrier when set up. The end panels 33 are then bent over the end panels 34, with their vertical edges desirably terminating in said plane and the buttons received in the respective apertures 35, completing the carrier. The setting up of the end panels and bottom tabs is more clearly illustrated by considering Figs. '7 and 9, Fig. 9 showing in section the manner in which the end panels are interlocked over the buttons 32, only one of which is illustrated.

Referring now to the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Fig. 8, there is shown a construction similar to that of the first embodiment, except that one of the panels 3 2 is unprovided with an aperture for receiving the associated button or stud 32 reliance being placed on the other end panel 33 holding the end panel 34 in place by overlapping the adjacent edge thereof and receiving the button 32 in its aperture 35. Except as specifically described, the construction may correspond with that of the first embodiment.

Reierling now to the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Fig. 10, a construction is there shown which is identical with that of Fig. 9 except that each panel 33", only one of which is illustrated, instead of having a mere aperture for receiving the button or stud 32*, has a keeper or snap fastener 5|, which may be like a button on a glove, in that it has resilient engaging portions and snaps over the stud 32b to retain the end panels 33 and 34 assembled with the corresponding bottom tab 29 as will be understood.

Referring now to the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figs. 11 and 12, another embodiment of the locking buttons is disclosed, each button 32 in the present instance taking the form of a metal staple formed of resilient material, such as sheet brass or steel, bent to a form such as illustrated in detail in Fig. 12. The end portions 52 and 53 of the button 32 are to be passed through corresponding slots 54 and 55 in the associated end tab 23 or 3 l, only one of which is illustrated, and then bent to looking relationship, as viewed in Fig. 11. This leaves an arrowheaded buttonlilze projection 56, which is admirably adapted to be received in the square or rectangular apertures 58 and/or 57 in the end panels 34 and 33, respectively. Said apertures are slightly smaller than the largest transverse dimension of the button 56, so as to cause said button to contract, as the end panel is moved into engaging relationship therewith, and then snap out to normal position after the panel has passed thereover, thereby securely holding the parts in assembled relationship.

From the foregoing disclosure, it will be seen that I have devised a bottle carrier which may be shipped flat, as a single or double sheet, which is readily constructed from a die-cut and creased blank of a single sheet of material, bent and with its sections secured together by locking means formed thereon, with the possible exception of the terminal tabs or handle sections, which may use fasteners for holding them together, if desired, as an alternative to glue.

The bottles, when in place, are separated by the depending flaps 48 and gripped in position by the flaps 45 and 47, as well as the material defining the lower edges of the access openings. The snap fasteners provide a simple yet convenient and secure means of holdin the carrier in set-up position, at the same time using the end panels, through their connection with the side panels, to not only hold the bottom panel up against the weight of supported bottles, through the medium of the locking relationship, but also holdin the bottom tabs in vertical position to act as stiffening means for the bottom panel. The best appearance is insured by having the lines between the end panels formed as the vertical edges of the smaller ones, and made possible by having the fastener devices offset as described.

Although preferred embodiments of my invention have been disclosed, it will be understood that modifications may be made within the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A bottle carrier adapted to be quickly set up and comprising a blank of resilient sheet material shaped, creased and bent to provide when set up, a bottom panel, side panels each formed 6 outstanding from each of said bottom tabs and offset laterally from said medial plane, an end panel extending from each end of each side panel. one of said end panels at each end of the carrier being relatively large, extending beyond, and the other being relatively small and terminating at, said medial plane, each of said end panels being apertured to button over the element at its end of the carrier, forming load carrying connections with the bottom tabs for directly supporting the end portions of the bottom panel, with the relatively small panels on the outside for appearance.

CHARLES S. PRICE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 687,704 Unser Nov. 26, 1901 692,564 Webb Feb. 4, 1902 1,344,124 Kaestner June 22, 1920 1,967,642 Williams et al July 24, 1934 2,002,013 Kieckheier et al. May 21, 1935 2,372,351 Arneson Mar. 27, 1945 2,383,853 Guyer Aug. 28, 1945 

